Data on Non-keratitis Acanthamoeba

For Everyone

At a glance

  • Acanthamoeba lives in water, soil, and dust and can infect parts of the body through cuts or skin wounds or from being inhaled into the lungs or nostrils.
  • Non-keratitis Acanthamoeba infections can cause very serious infections of the brain, skin, sinuses, and other organ systems, which are most often fatal.
  • Men 35 to 44 years old are most often diagnosed with this infection, according to CDC data.
Arrow points to Acanthamoeba in a patient's brain.

Cases by state

Keep in mind

All data represent non-keratitis Acanthamoeba infections. CDC does not collect information on Acanthamoeba keratitis infections, which affect the eyes. See Acanthamoeba keratitis for more information on these infections.

The map shows the number of U.S. non-keratitis Acanthamoeba cases by state from 1955-2025. If a patient's state of residence was unavailable, the data reflects the state where the patient received treatment. Of the 208 total cases, 97 correspond to a patient's state of residence while 102 correspond to the state of treatment. Residency and treatment information were unknown for 9 states.

Cases by year

Non-keratitis Acanthamoeba infections are rare. A total of 208 U.S. cases were diagnosed from 1955 to 2025, with a range of 0 to 12 cases a year.

Cases by age group and sex

Most U.S. non-keratitis Acanthamoeba cases from 1955 to 2025 occurred among males 35-39 and 40-44 years old, with 18 cases in each age group. Age was unknown for 5 cases, and sex was unknown for 4 cases.

Cases by month of illness onset

The initial symptoms of non-keratitis Acanthamoeba infections can occur throughout the year, according to data for 106 U.S. cases from 1955 to 2025. The month of illness onset was unknown for 102 cases.

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)